2014 September - Pro Football Rumors

Minor Moves: Saturday

September 20th, 2014 at 4:53pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ll keep tabs on all of Saturday’s NFL transactions here, with the latest moves at the top…

The Lions have cut veteran wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). The move opened up room for practice squad cornerback Mohammed Seisay, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
The Raiders have signed linebacker Bojay Filomeatu from their practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
The 49ers have promoted tight end Asante Cleveland to their active roster, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). The team released quarterback Josh Johnson to make room.
The Dolphins have signed safety Brandian Ross from their practice squad to the active roster, reports James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). They released defensive lineman Bruce Gaston to make room.
The Ravens have cut wide receiver Deonte Thompson, and signed running back Fitzgerald Toussaint from their practice squad, according to the team’s official Twitter page.

Earlier updates:

The Vikings announced that they have signed wide receiver Charles Johnson from the Browns practice squad. Johnson will take Adrian Peterson‘s spot on the roster.
The Lions will sign cornerback Mohammed Seisay from their practice squad, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer tweets that the Panthers have promoted running back Darrin Reaves from their practice squad to take Greg Hardy‘s roster spot.
The Cowboys announced (via Twitter) that the team has waived defensive end Lavar Edwards and signed linebacker Keith Smith from the practice squad. Edwards, a former fourth-round pick, was acquired from the Titans in late August. He’s only played 15 snaps in two games this season. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com tweets that the release does not void the trade with Tennessee, noting that the Cowboys have to give up a seventh-rounder if Edwards stays on the roster for ten games. However, Archer also notes that Edwards will likely be back.
The Jaguars have signed wide receiver Kerry Taylor from their practice squad, the team announced. To make room, the team waived rookie safety Craig Loston. Taylor has 22 career receptions for 229 yards and one touchdown. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets that Taylor is injury-insurance for wideouts Cecil Shorts and Allen Hurns.

Teams To Better Evaluate Player Conduct

September 20th, 2014 at 4:29pm CST by Rob DiRe

The player conduct policy getting some exercise these past few weeks, with the domestic violence cases dominating the news. The cases of Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, Jonathan Dwyer, and Greg Hardy all resulted in the players making headlines and missing games.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attempted to address this in his press conference on Friday, but was undermined when the report by Don Van Natta Jr. and Kevin Van Valkenburg of ESPN was published.

Still, the best way for teams to avoid the embarrassment that the Ravens, Vikings, Cardinals, and Panthers are now deservingly subject to is to do a better job in selecting and guiding players in the organization, writes Albert Breer of NFL.com. Of course, if it was easy to pick out the future criminals and troublemakers, teams would be doing so already.

“I don’t think you’ll find an NFL team that has not put an emphasis on character, and gathering the background to understand the full picture of a player,” one AFC personnel executive told Breer. “You may have risk guys. You’re gonna measure risk to a degree. But you’re also gonna have values and principles that, in some cases, will be unwavering. … I just don’t think there’s a blanket response (in how this will change things).”

Breer writes that we will not see whether this peak in incidents will influence how teams will change their approach until the calendar draws closer to the draft and free agency. It isn’t simply a question of when teams will start becoming more cautious, but if their decisions will be effected altogether.

“I’ll be honest, it will not change anything we do,” a veteran general manager said. “I hate to say it, but it’s not like we’re saying, ‘OK, from now on, we can’t have domestic violence.’ I think the players come into the league, they’re younger, and we have to develop them from boys to men. And so we spend a lot of energy here doing that.”

The process of bringing players into the organization will be equally important as the guidance they are able to provide for those players. With young men anywhere, the NFL included, a system of developing them into mature members of society needs to continue after college.

Even still, no matter how hard the teams try to bring in high character players, it is impossible to be perfect while building a team.

“You really don’t know,” an NFC executive said. “You really, really don’t know. You gotta do your homework, but there’s no telling exactly what you’re getting.”

Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston is not playing this Saturday because of an off the field transgression that resulted in his suspension for the game against Clemson. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report uses the Winston case as an example of the the effect the last two weeks in the NFL will have on player evaluations.

Winston won the Heisman Trophy last year for the national champion winning Seminoles, and as the reigning best player in college football, Winston and Florida State entered this weekend as the top ranked team in the country. Despite that, the most recent incident has caused many to drop Winston on their draft boards.

Freeman notes that draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN dropped Winston from third on his board down to the 25th best player available. His colleague Bill Polian, who formerly was the general manager of the Bills teams that made it to four consecutive Super Bowls and the Peyton Manning era Colts, was asked whether he would take Winston and replied “I don’t know.”

Freeman believes players like Winston will be used as a test case for the changing demeanor amongst NFL decision makers. It is unknown if the best player in college football will be drafted in the first round. There is a chance both Hardy and Rice are free agents this offseason, assuming they are not suspended. Peterson and Dwyer both could also be looking for new teams, depending on what the Vikings and Cardinals ultimately decide to do with them once their situations play out.

In time, it will be more clear whether player conduct becomes a more vital part of the evaluation process during the draft and free agency, and if that changes the climate of the NFL.

AFC North Notes: Gordon, Richardson, Rice

September 20th, 2014 at 2:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

Josh Gordon recently had his season-long ban reduced to ten games, and both he and the team are grateful of the new ruling, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.

Browns‘ general manager Ray Farmer released a statement:

“We are aware of the new NFL policy related to the reduction of Josh Gordon’s suspension to 10 games. We will continue to support and work with him under the NFL guidelines throughout this process. Our team’s focus right now remains on preparing for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.”

Gordon also released a statement through the NFLPA:

“I”m happy that the NFLPA and NFL worked hard to agree on a new Substances of Abuse policy. I”m very thankful to my union for fighting for a significant reduction in my suspension. I”m glad I can go to the facility during my suspension. I look forward to going to meetings, working out individually, and learning from my coaches and teammates. I can”t wait until game 11 to get back on the field!”

Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

Yesterday, the Colts were lamenting the long term effects of the Trent Richardson trade. The Browns, on the other hand, are reaping the benefits, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. Just one year later, the Browns, while not perfect, are progressing as an organization, highlighted by last week’s win over the Saints. The 0-2 Colts have a top heavy roster that seems to be crumbling around Andrew Luck, and while they ran the ball well against the Eagles last week, Richardson fumbled twice.
Ravens‘ linebacker Courtney Upshaw was fined $16,537 for a hit he put on Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last Thursday, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Upshaw will appeal the fine.
The Ravens have already denied the accuracy of the report on how the team and the NFL handled the domestic violence case against Ray Rice, and ESPN did trip over itself in reporting incident. Bob Ley of Outside the Lines misreported that the team had actually received a copy of the tape, and then backtracked to say they had received an account of what transpired. This hurts the overall credibility of the report, writes David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun.

NFC Mailbags: Cardinals, Panthers, Giants

September 20th, 2014 at 12:35pm CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier today, so now let’s see what the NFC writers have to say…

Josh Weinfuss writes that the Cardinals need another player to contribute at defensive end, but he also notes that acquiring an upgrade at the position would be difficult.
David Newton puts Greg Hardy‘s chances of returning to the Panthers after the season at 50-50, saying it will all come down to the jury trial.
The Panthers will be looking to extend Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly this offseason, and David Newton “almost guarantees” that the team will restructure Charles Johnson‘s contract.
Dan Graziano believes that the Giants have a two-year plan, with hopes that they’ll see offensive improvements by 2015. As a result, the writer thinks coach Tom Coughlin will be around for at least two more seasons.

Josh McCown Could Miss Several Weeks

September 20th, 2014 at 11:25am CST by Rob DiRe

SATURDAY, 11:25am: Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that McCown has a “significant” sprain and will visit a hand specialist on Monday. As a result, it’s unlikely that the quarterback will play this weekend.

However, in an earlier tweet, Stroud said the team was optimistic that McCown would play against the Steelers, perhaps indicating that the quarterback’s injury is not as severe as initially thought.

FRIDAY, 8:08pm: Buccaneers quarterback Josh McCown injured his thumb in the 56-14 blowout loss to the Falcons Thursday night. Early on, it looked as if the injury was not serious, but Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1 is reporting that it could force McCown out of the linup for several weeks (via Twitter).

McCown went under a second test that found the injury to be severe enough to sideline the Buccaneers’ free agent signal caller.

Mike Glennon will be slated to start in his place, as he filled in for McCown during the Thursday Night Game.

McCown had been struggling mightily during his two and a half games as a starter in Tampa Bay. He failed to move the offense, and the team remained winless through three games. Even still, head coach Lovie Smith remains committed to him as the starter, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

“Josh is our starter,” Smith said. “We’re looking at one game right now. It would be simple if Josh was the only guy who played bad. It seems like the only guy I’m asked about is Josh. You can ask that about quite a few people starting with me. Am I still the head coach based on that effort? But a little more goes into it than that.”

Now that McCown will miss action, Glennon will have an opportunity to put his stamp on a job that he performed admirably at just last season. As a rookie, Glennon went 4-9 as a starter for a bad Buccaneers team. His touchdown to interception ratio was better than two to one during the 2013 campaign.

AFC Mailbags: Jaguars, Ravens, Colts, Raiders

September 20th, 2014 at 11:14am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means a fresh batch of ESPN.com NFL mailbags. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from the AFC…

The Jaguars have rookie Telvin Smith waiting in the wings, but Michael DiRocco thinks the team still needs an upgrade at linebacker.
Looking forward to next year’s draft, DiRocco opines that the Jaguars should focus on drafting a pass rusher. The writer suggests Randy Gregory (Nebraska), Shane Ray (Missouri), and Shilique Calhoun (Michigan State).
Even with wideout Steve Smith‘s presence, Jamison Hensley says it would be “shocking” if the Ravens don’t extend Torrey Smith.
Mike Wells would be surprised if the Colts signed defensive end Michael Sam from the Cowboys practice squad. To thrive in the team’s defense, the writer says that Sam would need to learn to play outside linebacker.
If the Raiders lose to the Patriots this weekend, coach Dennis Allen will certainly be feeling some pressure, writes Bill Williamson.

Jets Notes: Holmes, Amaro, Vick

September 20th, 2014 at 9:53am CST by Ben Levine

Bears wideout Santonio Holmes will be making his return to New York this weekend, but it won’t be your typical homecoming. The former Jets standout told Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times that he hasn’t heard from one of his former teammates this week, so he won’t be shaking any of their hands following the game.

Members of the Jets organization understand where Holmes is coming from. In fact, defensive coordinator Dennis Thuman expects the player to be angry.

“He probably has a little revenge on his mind,” Thuman said (via Brian Lewis of the New York Post). “We know who he is and what they’re going to come and try to do. [But] we can’t get caught up in the one-on-one part of it.”

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is also aware of Holmes’ extra motivation:

“He doesn’t need to say much. We know what happened with him there and how important this game is to him,” said Cutler. “At the same token, it’s another game for us, and we can’t get wrapped up in that.

“He hasn’t said anything to ruffle anybody’s feathers yet [in Chicago]. He has been in early, he stays late. He has had to catch up with everybody else in learning this offense, and I thought he has done an incredible job. He communicated with me of what he likes, what he doesn’t like. He gets in games and he just does exactly what we want him to do.’’

Let’s see what else is going on in the Big Apple…

Rookie tight end Jace Amaro has only played 30 percent of his team’s snaps, and ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini speculates that the lack of use could be because Amaro doesn’t have a solid grasp on the offense. Cimini also suggest that offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg could still be trying to distinguish the rookie’s “niche.”
Cimini believes the team’s two best trade options are quarterback Michael Vick and nose tackle Damon Harrison.
When asked about the prospect of acquiring a cornerback, Cimini says the Jets would need to give up a “premium” draft pick.
According to Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com, a pair of Jets were fined for unnecessary roughness in their loss to the Packers: Muhammad Wilkerson ($20K) and Sheldon Richardson ($8,268).

NFL Notes: Goodell, Tagliabue, London

September 20th, 2014 at 8:32am CST by Ben Levine

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell held a press conference yesterday to discuss the league’s revised personal conduct policy. Of course, plenty of pundits offered their opinions on the commissioner’s statements, including former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi. Speaking on ESPN, Bruschi wasn’t positive in his review of the league’s commish (via ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio)…

“We needed someone to go up there and be a leader,” Bruschi said. “To be a leader and say something substantial. To give all of the public out there, all of the fans, all of the former players, all of the current players. To give them hope that things will be done right, and that wasn’t done because I don’t think Roger Goodell is the guy that can do that anymore.

“Fixing a mistake is one thing, but he can’t escape this. He can’t escape this. Because the NFL, a big thing about them also is image. How the NFL is portrayed. And as long as Roger Goodell is leading the NFL and he’s the face behind the shield, you will have the same emotions you had today, watching that press conference, listening to him speak in circles, wondering, ‘Man, what is this guy talking about?’ So as you continue and move forward and Roger Goodell is the Commissioner, you will continue to feel that way every time you see him.

“In my opinion, in my personal opinion, being a former player that spent 13 years in this league trying to do the right thing, I want a new Commissioner to lead my league. I want a new Commissioner to go out there and say the right things and be that leader, because right now, Roger Goodell is not that. And I don’t think he can ever be that. Roger Goodell needs to step down and move on, and we need new leadership. The big reset button needs to be pressed on the NFL right now, and it starts by Roger Goodell stepping down.”

Let’s check out some more notes pertaining to Goodell and the NFL…

Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole spoke to a pair of league executives about the press conference, and neither was impressed with the way Goodell handled himself. One expressed his belief that Goodell didn’t “measure up” to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who recently had to deal with the Donald Sterling controversy.
Peter King dove into the SI Vault to uncover a 2006 article where he discusses the retirement of former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue. In addition to Goodell, King suggests Falcons president Rich McKay and Ravens president Richard Cass as possible replacements.
The NFL “very much” wants a franchise in London and believes that fan support will not be a concern, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.

NFC Notes: Jordan, Vikings, Buccaneers

September 19th, 2014 at 10:34pm CST by Rob DiRe

Dolphins’ defensive end Dion Jordan has been reinstated and suspended again, due to a separate failed drug test. The team is still supporting Jordan, although there was a report that they shopped the former first-round pick this offseason, in order to gauge his trade value.

One team that inquired as to Jordan’s availability was the Eagles, and Jordan’s former college coach Chip Kelly. The Eagles were interested in acquiring Jordan via trade, and called up the Dolphins’ front office shortly after Dennis Hickey accepted the job of general manager, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

The Dolphins had no interest in trading Jordan at that time, but Salguero wonders if the recent suspensions have created a missed opportunity for Hickey to get out from a bad investment.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

After losing Adrian Peterson to the Commissioner’s exemption list, and releasing Jerome Simpson, the Vikings have two open roster spots to fill, reports Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. The team is considering bringing back fullback Zach Line back to the active roster from the practice squad. The team will most likely not fill that spot in time for their matchup against the Saints this weekend, but will look into it sometime next week.
After the embarrassing Thursday Night Football loss to the Falcons, which put the Buccaneers at 0-3, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com examined how the team has constructed its roster over the past few years. The team has spent a lot of money in free agency in recent years, and although a few of those signings have failed to work out, Fitzgerald argues that the timing of their spending sprees were misguided, noting that it is better to draft a young core and add to it. The Buccaneers tried to buy their young core and skip the first step.
In order to loosen up his team in the days leading up to the week three battle against the Texans, head coach Tom Coughlin is allowing the Giants‘ players to play music during warmups, writes George Willis of the New York Post. The music was suggested by the player’s leadership council.

AFC Notes: Ravens, Broncos, Bills, Richardson

September 19th, 2014 at 9:28pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Ravens have responded to the ESPN report by Don Van Natta Jr. and Kevin Van Valkenburg, releasing a statement denying the authenticity of the report, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The statement is as follows (via Twitter):

“The … article contains numerous errors, inaccuracies, false assumptions, and perhaps misunderstandings. The Ravens will address all of these next week in Baltimore after our trip to Cleveland for Sunday’s game against the Browns.”

ESPN released a simple statement in response to the Ravens’ reaction, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter):

“We stand by our reporting.”

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

The Broncos have been preparing for their regular season rematch with the Seahawks since February. After being blown out 43-8 in the Super Bowl, the Broncos returned as the favorites to return to the big game. However, just getting there wasn’t enough. Over the offseason, the team turned over regulars at ten spots on the defense, writes Peter King of Monday Morning Quarterback. The new look Broncos’ defense will be highlighted by the return of Von Miller and Chris Harris, and the additions of Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware, and T.J. Ward
The Bills received a great offer to buy the team from Kim and Terry Pegula, but the person who deserves credit for the big price is Donald Trump, reports Donald Trump (via Twitter). The Pegula’s paid $1.4 billion for the team, which was considered an overpay by financial analysts, according to the Buffalo News.
One year later, Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star reflects on the trade that brought Trent Richardson to the Colts. The former Alabama star can bench press nearly 500 pounds, but he hasn’t been able to power his way to a smooth transition with his new club. Richardson’s 79 rushing yards and 16 receiving yards on Monday night represented his best statistical game in Indianapolis. But, even in the 30-27 loss, Richardson fumbled twice.